• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

IC-F2721D bricked

Status
Not open for further replies.

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
Okay, I did it. The F2721D I bought showed up as analog/P25 in radio information in the s/w but application said analog not analog/P25.

So I attempted to load F/W for P25, V2.6 to activate that. Radio came up "clone ng" and then about a minute later, it TURNED OFF. (Wonderful).

Tech Support says it is bricked. Anyone have any inside info as to how to "unbrick" this radio? (Is that even possible outside ICOM Repair?

According to what I see and had confirmed by Tech Support, it just needs the correct firmware for analog and digital. In my case, since I have V2.2 Programming S/W It needs to have V3.0 analog F/W and V.2.6 digital F/W.

I also found out that one wants to keep those versions because, as stated elsewhere on the forum, the later version of s/w and f/w will force analog to narrowband and thus won't be useable for hams.

So does anyone know how to "unbrick" this radio?

I will sacrifice a goat in your honor.

Bob, K5INW
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
Disconnect main power for a few hours. Plug it back in and try to dump a codeplug back into it. Try that first.
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
Load codeplug?

I think you mean try to load a backed up personality back into the radio. Since it doesn't turn on (come up) I am assuming that won't work??? At least it doesn't appear to come on (no display visible). I have had it off this evening. I'll try to reload the original personality I saved before starting all of this. Further: I have the correct cable OPC-1122U and have successfully used this cable, this laptop and this very program to edit personalities on two IC-F1721D VHF analog and P25 radios already in my possession. So at least I know this should work. Perhaps I'll be able to recover this UHF F2721D tomorrow. Thanks for the info. The goat sacrifice will have to wait another day.
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
No go. I can't load anything because the radio won't come on. It will not power up; which was said to be the symptom of bricking. Any other ideas will certainly be considered. 73
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
Does the radio make a pop or snap sound out of the speaker when you plug it in/power on?

It's odd that it took a minute to shut off. Clone NG is normal when updating F/W, you just simply reprogram the radio.

Did you just load 2.6 P25 firmware, or was it both analog a digital firmware?

Hate to sound captain obvious, but is there a chance something shorted at the power plug?
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
No sound

No popping from speaker on power up. And no, you don't sound like Captain Obvious. I appreciate your help. I did check the power connector at the end of the pigtail out of the radio (after the catastrophic event of course!) and found the pins would pull out of the radio end of the plug but I don't know, nor can I prove that that resulted in a simultaneous or coincidental temporary disconnect from the power supply. (The power supply is a known-good one, don't suspect anything there).

Since there is nothing on the screen, and after the attempt at loading s/w results in a failure screen indicating port problem or radio problem (you may have seen the screen, I don't remember the exact wording but I can take a picture and post it if you would find that helpful), I just don't know where to go from here. I removed the bottom cover and did the "sniff-test", nothing there. Nothing obviously blown up either.

If there was a coincidental power disconnect, is there a way to recover from that? Or again, is this a situation where it goes back to ICOM repair center for a fix?


And yes, I just got back from the Emergency Room, where they casted my broken leg, caused by my repeated attempts at kicking my own butt!!!


Thanks for your advice. I hope you have more.
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
P25

I forgot to answer one of your earlier questions relating to this problem. I attempted to load the digital f/w thinking that, since I already had the proper version of the analog f/w, reloading it would not be necessary. Reading further info from ICOM' s RESOURCE section under SUPPORT, it appears that is improper. Maybe that led to this problem. I am currently tracing the POWER UP function using the PDF of the schematic and pictorial pages from the service manual to see if the voltages are there. I suspect there may be a problem with the switching transistor 2SJ344 or the IC that it feeds. If I find all the voltages, then it will appear that it is trying to power up, but something else is preventing it. I can not find a function chart of the POWER UP function in the service manual; ("pressing the POWER ON switch causes a momentary ground to appear at...") that type of function chart. That would make this process easier.

73
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
More info

Talked to tech support today. Got a different support tech. He advised me, that yes, according to the symptoms, it IS bricked. I finally got to do in-depth comparison of my other analog/P25 VHF radioand this UHF radio, and this radio (the UHF) does NOT have the UT-120 digital accessory board plugged in to the jack on the main board like the VHF radio does. This caused the f/w upgrade to fail and bricked the radio. So, learn from my mistakes, DO NOT attempt to do this unless you have a known-good UT-120 digital accessory board in the radio FIRST. READ THE CLONE INFORMATION and make sure it shows that the UT-120 is showing up there. Wish I had called TS earlier. Oh well, my bad, money going out the door soon to have it un-bricked, UT-120 installed and both sets of f/w loaded to make it P25 and analog.
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
That sucks. But hey, sometimes **** happens!

Oh, and make sure they don't load analog 3.1 into it!! You'll be forced narrow then.. Have them load 3.0
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
3.1 f/w

Yep. Already preparing my narrative to the ICOM repair center to that effect. I don't need that added complication!

Sounds to me like you work/worked for an ICOM shop too. I have a feeling I am going to be into this P25 upgrade for a lot more than I wanted to spend.

Oh well, that's what happens when you don't ask enough questions of a seller before buying a "P25 ready" radio.

I just saw UT-120 on Ebay. Yikes!!! $425.00.
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
Sounds to me like you work/worked for an ICOM shop too.

I worked at a Icom/Motorola shop for 28 years. Retired. Went back to work to help out at another shop, they ended up taking on Icom. My entire county runs Icom P25 equipment and has a fairly large P25 trunking system, so I dabble in that, plus I use them for some of my own personal stuff.


I have a feeling I am going to be into this P25 upgrade for a lot more than I wanted to spend.

Oh well, that's what happens when you don't ask enough questions of a seller before buying a "P25 ready" radio.

I just saw UT-120 on Ebay. Yikes!!! $425.00.

Yeah, that little board is expensive! But, when it's said and done, you'll have a great P25 radio! Those have some of the best receivers I have seen, blows Motorola out of the water.
 

bbo14

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Messages
103
Location
Hobbs, NM
Parallel careers

Well, I worked for Motorola for awhile too. It was after leaving a fortune 50 company and looking for something to do. Then went to work for another fortune 50 company (neither of these was in two-way though). 35 years between the two fortune 50's. Went to work for a two way shop that does Kenwood, ICOM and repairs anything that comes in the door (within reason, right?).

Never got much experience with ICOM P25 because our system here is 800mHz multisite trunked phase II and Icom still lags in that area.

I agree about the F1721/1821 series. My VHF ones are excellent performers on PS and ham frequencies. I just didn't figure on spending a fortune on this UHF one. I should have spent the $600 and bought an F2821D off Ebay and reprogrammed it. The seller I got this one from either doesn't understand "P25 READY" or someone removed the UT-120 before shipping it to me, thinking I would not know it is needed.
 

12dbsinad

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
1,946
Never got much experience with ICOM P25 because our system here is 800mHz multisite trunked phase II and Icom still lags in that area.

Icom is introducing 700/800 Mhz gear very soon (on there 2nd Gen P25 equipment). I think they are finally catching on...

Stay tuned!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top